Thatcher has Dementia

AWESOMEUS MAXIMUS · 24th August 2008, 11:46am

Former prime minister Baroness Thatcher's daughter Carol has revealed details of her mother's struggle with dementia.

In her new book, Carol Thatcher said she first noticed her mother's failing memory while the pair had lunch in 2000.

She also disclosed that she had to repeatedly break the "truly awful" news of her father Sir Denis' death to her mother until the information sank in.

In her book, A Swim-On Part in the Goldfish Bowl: A Memoir, she wrote how her mother's "blotting-paper brain" which had always absorbed information got confused between Bosnia and the Falklands during a conversation about the war in the former Yugoslavia.

She wrote: "I almost fell off my chair. Watching her struggle with her words and her memory, I couldn't believe it. She was in her 75th year but I had always thought of her as ageless, timeless and 100 per cent cast-iron damage-proof.

"The contrast was all the more striking because, until that point, she'd always had a memory like a website."

Ms Thatcher added: "From the fateful day of our lunch, tell tale signs that something wasn't quite right began to emerge.

"Whereas previously you would never have had to say anything to her twice, because she'd already filed it away in her formidable memory bank, Mum started asking the same questions over and over again, unaware she was doing so."

Recalling Sir Denis' death from pancreatic cancer in 2003, she said: "Losing Dad was truly awful for Mum, not least because her dementia meant she kept forgetting he was dead.

"I had to keep giving her the bad news over and over again.

"Every time it finally sank in that she had lost her husband of more than 50 years, she'd look at me sadly and say 'Oh', as I struggled to compose myself. 'Were we all there?' she'd ask softly."

The former Conservative prime minister, 82, has kept a low profile in recent years and her doctor advised her to stop making public speeches on health grounds.

Hopefully she won't forget what she's done, because we won't

MarkMono · 24th August 2008, 11:48am

The biggest insult you could sling Thatchers way would be to be sympathetic.

Goes against every rotten thing she believes.

ladysavage · 24th August 2008, 11:49am

put her in a NHS residential home.

Hammer · 24th August 2008, 11:50am

I wouldn't take 'Memory like a website' as being much of a complement.

Not really surprising that's she suffering from dementia though. It affects a hell of a lot of old folks.

Joe Spinebuster · 24th August 2008, 12:07pm

Opinion on her may vary - well, except on here where I imagine it's a "SHE'S A COW!" whitewash - but no matter what you think, seeing this happen to a figure like Thatcher does really bring home the reality that we all get old.

I guess, one by one, we all have our cookies deleted some day.

MarkMono · 24th August 2008, 12:09pm

She's been a drooling nutcase since the day her brain had to accept the horrific fact that we didn't want her to run the country anymore.

The big lightbulb in her brain went off that day, and never went back on.

Rosco · 24th August 2008, 12:11pm

Thatcher is demented, colour me unsurprised.

AWESOMEUS MAXIMUS · 24th August 2008, 12:14pm

Quote:

Originally Posted by Joe Spinebuster

Opinion on her may vary - well, except on here where I imagine it's a "SHE'S A COW!" whitewash -

Weird, I was thinking the exact opposite - that this is the only site on the internet (bar maybe some vastly right wing/conservative/fash website) where you could openly find actual sympathy for her.

Must be losing its "whackyness".

Quote:

but no matter what you think, seeing this happen to a figure like Thatcher does really bring home the reality that we all get old.

eh, no? you can see this shit in society all around you every day.
Just because this cow has it bad doesn't make it anymore of a "REALITY~!", for me, at least.

Quote:

I guess, one by one, we all have our cookies deleted some day.

lolz.

djbarry · 24th August 2008, 12:14pm

She's not looked well for some time. The woman was the devil incarnate and tried to remove Scotland from the map, with some success. However I agree with Lev on this, it does make you think about the tragedy of old age, some of us being closer to a meeting with god satan and all his little wizards an all that, than others

Joe Spinebuster · 24th August 2008, 12:21pm

Quote:

Originally Posted by AWESOMEUS MAXIMUS

eh, no? you can see this shit in society all around you every day.
Just because this cow has it bad doesn't make it anymore of a "REALITY~!", for me, at least.

Aye, chill out. Stop listening to hardcore and having "strong opinions on politics" for 5 minutes to bring back the old Chris who would see that the whole post was pretty much just a set up for the "lolz" bit.

Why so AFRRONTED by the suggestion that an old woman going off her nut would bring home the reality of life anyways? I know you can "SEE THAT SHIT IN SOCIETY ALL AROUND YOU EVERY DAY" (this must be a Madball lyric, surely), but, well, I also see it in Maggie Thatcher. Things don't HAVE to happen in the space immediately surrounding you to be "REAL".

Plus, you know, agree with her or not she was a strong-minded intelligent person. The fact that she has lost the plot brings things home a lot better than seeing some drooling 82-year-old alky mongo getting on the wrong bus back home to Drumchapel coz he's not got a scooby any more.

Mwezzi · 24th August 2008, 12:24pm

I actually feel bad for her and her family. My grandfather is suffering from it too.

**Ghostsuit** · 24th August 2008, 12:27pm

The way you lot go on you'd think she burned babies on stakes. Fair enough she's did thing's you all disagreed with (mind you most of you weren't even old enough to remember her in power) but then she also pulled the country out of a bit of a hole when she came to power and was voted in by a lot of people so someone obviously thought she did some good.

In the end though you might not like her but you should think about all the other people this will affect, her family and friends, dementias not a nice thing to watch no matter who it happens to, so before you start all the "fuck her" comments have a wee think.

AWESOMEUS MAXIMUS · 24th August 2008, 12:27pm

Aye, but how anyone can have modicum of sympathy for this harlot, especially if you are coming from a working class background is absolutely beyond me.

Yer point still doesn't make much sense to me mate, everyone knows someone with dementia, everyone knows someone with cancer.
It's absolutely shite, and brings home how old/mortal we all are, but why Thatcher makes you feel this way (to the point where you make a post about it, is beyond me and bordering on sympathy)...unless you are telling me everytime you hear someone has an age related problem, you stop and sigh and think "wow this really shows me that we are old" or whatever the fuck.

Our survey says - DESERVED.

MarkMono · 24th August 2008, 12:31pm

Its hard to think of any government in British history that had less sympathy for the old and infirm.

Think on that.

**Ghostsuit** · 24th August 2008, 12:31pm

Quote:

Originally Posted by AWESOMEUS MAXIMUS

Aye, but how anyone can have modicum of sympathy for this harlot, especially if you are coming from a working class background is absolutely beyond me.

Yer point still doesn't make much sense to me mate, everyone knows someone with dementia, everyone knows someone with cancer.
It's absolutely shite, and brings home how old/mortal we all are, but why Thatcher makes you feel this way (to the point where you make a post about it, is beyond me and bordering on sympathy)...unless you are telling me everytime you hear someone has an age related problem, you stop and sigh and think "wow this really shows me that we are old" or whatever the fuck.

Our survey says - DESERVED.

On that same note why do you feel the need to laugh at her suffering? I'm guessing it's the exact same reason, because she was a public figure and has made such a strong impression on this country it has more of an impact.